The ability to quickly and safely deploy equipment above or below the surface of a body of water can have a positive impact on a variety of tasks, including bathymetric surveys, water quality monitoring, search and rescue, surveillance, civil infrastructure inspection, and underwater vehicle deployment. Recent advances have allowed marine vessels outfitted with suitable equipment to be remotely or automatically controlled with no need for a human presence.
It is therefore desirable to design water vessels which are as small as possible, such that they can be easily launched, retrieved, and transported. As the water vessels may be unmanned, they should also be provided with systems which allow them to resist concerns such as propeller fouling. Likewise, in the case of critical system failure, a means for retrieval would also be desirable. From an operational perspective, it is advantageous for a water vessel to have minimal draught to allow for near-shore operation, and to be configured to enhance vessel stability. A water vessel intended for use as an equipment platform should also provide features to allow equipment to be mounted easily with minor or no hull modifications.